Engine starting system



NOV. 8, W32. J (500D ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM Filed April 24, 1928Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN GOOD, OF GARDENCITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC MOTOR STOP AND START, INCL, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM Application filed April24,

The invention relates to the starting of automobile engines and inparticular to starting systems of the kind in which the starter proper,either motor or motor-generator, 1s rendered active-to start the engineby switch mechanism operated by an abnormal declutching movement of theclutch pedal.

The invention provides an improved and simplified starting mechanism ofthis general type, readily applicable to automobiles generally and soorganized as to guard against accidental energization of the starter andconsists particularly in the arrangements and mode of operationhereinafter described and exemplified in the accompanying draw- Tig. 1shows part of an automobile power plant and starter having the inventionapied;

p Figs. 2 and 3 different positions assumed by the parts during thestarting operation;

Fig. 4: a larger scale sectional view of the preferred form of starterswitch and Fig. 5 a modified form of the invention.

The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 will be recognized as including anengine 1, steering column 2, casing 3, housing the clutch which controlsthe connection of the engine and running gear, and clutch operatingpedal or lever 4 extending through the dash 5 into the operatorscompartment. v The clutch normally occupies the position shown beingreturned to or held in closed position by a spring, such as 6, which maybe the clutch return spring and mounted within the casing 3 or otherwiseaccording to the particular design of the automobile.

The engine is adapted to be started by means of a suitable electricalunit suchas the motor 7 which when energized is either automatically ormanually engaged with the engine to crank the same. As will beunderstood, the motor is energized in response to the closing of astarter switch which controls a circuit including the starter and astorage battery (not shown). The switch is preferably of the plunger, orflatwise moving contact type since such a switch requires only arelatively short closing movement and hence is adapted for operation bythe clutch pedal 1928. Serial N0. 5272,5590

with the least encroachment on the normal stroke thereof. A preferredform of such switch is indicated at 8 and shown on an enlarged scale inFig. 4. It consists of a casing 9 enclosing a pair of fixed contacts 10connected with exterior binding posts 11 to which the cables 12 of thestarting circuit are attached. An extension 18 of the casing houses aplunger 14 which at its inner end carries an insulated bridge piece 15for the contacts 10 and at its outer end is riveted to a cap 16 whichtelescopes over the casing extension 13 and so guides the outer end ofthe plunger. Spring 17 holds the plunger in the open circuit position asshown.

The switch can be mounted in a variety of positions and operated by theclutch pedal in numerous ways but I have found that the best location ison the steering column, to which it is secured by a bracket 18 bolted tothe bottom of the switch casing and secured to the column 2 by screws orotherwise. Thus mounted, the switch is readily accessible for inspectionor repair and in most cases is close to the starting motor so that aminimum length of starter cable suflices for its connection. The switchis spaced from the steering column, the length of the bracket arm beingdetermined accordingly, so that the cap 16, which with plunger 14constitutes the switch operating member, lies in the path of the clutchlever, that is to say, the switch and clutch lever are equally spacedfrom the steering column. The bracket is so locate longitudinally of thesteering column that cap 16 is beyond the limitof normal declutchingmovement. According to my invention this limit is defined approximatelyby a bumper member or clutch stop which also lies in the path of theclutch lever and which serves to prevent accidental movement of theclutch lever beyond its declutching position and into its switch closingposition. The bumper can be variously designed to accomplish the desiredpurpose but in general it consists of a member adapted to interposeconsiderable resistance to movement of the clutch lever at a certainpoint, or over a limited portion, of the path of the latter, namely, inthe neighborhood of the limit of movement necessary or desirable fordeclutching, but to yield to and permit relatively free movement of theclutch lever beyond such limit and particularly during the switchclosing movement. The form of bumper illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3consists of an arm 19 carrying a roller 20 at its free end and at itsother end pivotally supported by a rigid member 21 which may be strappedto the steering column or otherwise mounted so that roller 20 normallyoccupies a position in the path of the clutch lever in the neighborhoodof the limit of normal declutching movement. A stifi. spring 22, actingon arm 19, holds the roller in this position, shown in Fig. 1. Uponmovement beyond its normal operating range the clutch lever encountersroller 20 and the resistance of spring 22 so that increased effort isthen necessary to continue the lever movement, and thereby the bumperserves as a means of guarding against inadvertent operation of thestarter switch as well as to notify the operator whenthe clutch leverhas been depressed far enough to disengage the engine and running gear.The operation of the arm and roller throughout continued movement of thelever is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 from which it will be seen that asthe lever moves arm 19 against the opposition of spring 22 to theposition shown in Fig. 3, the roller rides up over the elbow of thelever to the position .shown in that figure in which spring 22 is nolonger materially efiective in opposing the lever movement. The starterswitch is preferably so located that its cap 16 is not engaged by theclutch lever until this position is reached, so that the final or switchoperating movement of the lever is only sub ject to the added resistanceof the relatively light switch spring 17.. By this arrangement anoticeable working limit is established to the clutch stroke withouthowever requiring undue effort on the part of the operator for closingthe switch and holding it closed, as would be the case, for example, ifthe switch spring should be relied on for defining the normal strokelimit or if merely an additional spring were provided for that purpose.In the present case the operator, after having overcome the bumperresistance, has merely to overcome the tension of the clutch spring andthe slight additional tension of the switch spring which is done veryeasily.

In the embodiment of Fig. 5, a pivoted arm 23 is similarly located inthe path of the clutch lever and held in the full line position by aspring 24 extending from the free end of the arm to a fixed point ofattachment Q5. The movement of the arm in a counter-clockwise directionis limited by the shoulder 26 engaging a suitable stop. This form of theinvention diifers from that above described in that the pivot 27 of thebumper arm is so located that the arm remains in contact with the radialportion of the clutch lever throughout its entire switch-operatingmovement. It will be noted however that clockwise rotation of arm 23carries spring 24 toward the pivot 27 thereby reducing the effectivepull of the spring and accordingly decreasing the resistance offered byarm 23 to movement of the clutch lever. The effect will be recognized assimilarto that of the form of Fig. 1, the movement of the lever fromposition A to position B representing the tree declutching movement,position B the point of maximum resistance of the bumper and B to C thepath of diminishing resistance of the bumper and the switch closingmovement of the clutch lever.

It will be apparent that within the principles above exemplified theresistance opposed to the movement of the clutch lever can be variouslyconstituted, either as a bumper member directly encountered by the levertoward the end of its stroke, and as herein preferred, or otherwiseaccording to the conditions in hand and the preference of the designer.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In an automobile the combination of a clutch lever, a starter switchadapted for operation by an abnormal declutching movement thereof,spring means normally maintaining said switch in its open position and abumper device limiting normal declutching movement of the clutch leverand including means rendered active by continued movement of said leverto diminish the resistance opposed by said device.

2. In an automobile the combination of a clutch lever, a bumper deviceadapted to oppose movement of the lever beyond its normal declutchingstroke and including means rendered efi'ective by continued movement ofthe clutch lever to diminish the opposing resistance, and a starterswitch having a contact member arranged for operation by the clutchlever substantially at the limit of its throw.

3. In an automobile having a clutch lever and a starter switch for oeration by a continued movement thereof eyond its normal declutchingstroke, mechanism for opposing a temporary resistance to such movementcomprising a pivoted bumper arm having its free end located in the pathof the clutch lever and means acting to yieldingly sustain said arm inopposition to movement of the lever, adjacent the end of its normaldeclutching stroke, said arm and means organized to relievesaidopposition in response to continued movement of the clutch lever.

4. In an automobile having a clutch lever and a starter switch for oeration by a con tinued movement thereof beyond its normal declutchingstroke, mechanism for opposing a temporary resistance to such movementcomprising a pivoted bumper arm having its free end located in the pathof the clutch lever and a spring acting to yieldingly sustain said armin opposition-to movement of the lever, adjacent the end of its normaldeclutching stroke, said arm and spring organized to relieve saidopposition in response to continued movement of the clutch lever.

5. In an automobile the combination of a clutch lever, means opposingtwo degrees of resistance to movement located in the path of said leverto be engaged thereby adjacent the end of the normal declutching strokeand adapted to be moved to the position of lesser resistance bycontinued movement of the lever, and a starter switch having a contactmember arranged for operation by the clutch lever substantially at thelimit of its throw.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JOHN GOOD.

